Stand Clear, Doors Closing
by thimbles
Summary: My pieces for The Twilight Twenty-Five. Twenty five prompts. 300-500 word flashes. Silly experiments in writing.
1. Chapter 1

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #12

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 413

…

…

My heart is beating so hard I can hear my pulse thundering in my temples over the clatter of my shoes on the tiled stairs.

Platform 1. Of course I came in on the wrong side of the freaking station.

Platform 4.

Platform 6.

"Shit, shit, shit … Sorry!"

The red-lipsticked, middle-aged woman I nearly took out with my bag snaps something back at me. Her tone is curt, but I don't pay attention to the words. It's not like I was aiming for her.

I'm not sure why I'm still running, I already know I'm not going to make my train. But I keep moving, my bag thumping against my hip, my side burning with a stitch.

The number seven is blurry, even as I make a right underneath it. My glasses are in my bag—I hope. Class today is going to be painful if I forgot them. Though I have to actually get to class for that to be an issue.

My lecturer, Professor Something-I-can-never-remember is one of those sticklers for the rules. He's the only guy in the department who actually does what the Course Handbook threatens, and locks the doors to the lecture theatre at 9:05. (I'm sure there's a WHS issue there. What if there was a fire?)

So, if I miss this train, which I probably will, I might as well just head into Newtown and spend a few hours browsing the quirky stores lining King St. I could use a latté, too.

I sprint up the ramp leading to Platform 7 as I hear that weirdly intonated announcement, each syllable dropping in pitch: "Stand Clear, Doors Closing."

I slow to a walk as my train starts pulling out.

"Fuck."

I snicker, and the boy puffing and wheezing beside me says, "Jinx."

"What?"

He shakes his head, green eyes sparking with mischief. "Don't make me punch you."

I blink at him, and he chuckles. He's cute in that hipster-who-claims-not-to-be-a-hipster way. Skinny jeans, scruffy jaw, thick black frames. "I jinxed you. You're not allowed to talk."

"Until when?"

"You kinda suck at this," he tells me.

"Sorry." It comes out more like a question.

"It's cool." He shrugs. "Probably a good thing. If you played by the rules, you wouldn't answer me when I asked your name."

I hesitate, but his cheeky smile makes me want to tell him. I want to hear him say it. "Bella."

He winks. "Well, Bella. I do believe you owe me a coffee."

* * *

**A/N: The Twilight Twenty-Five involves 25 prompts over three months. 300-500 word flashes, and probably a whole lot of silly experiments on my part. **

**Thanks for reading ;)**

**Shell x**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #16

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella

Rating: T

Word Count: 406

…

…

_FYI - one of the rules of TT25 is that none of the pieces are supposed to relate to each other. So these will be 25 pieces of work that vary in characters, tense and person. Basically, me just messing around with words. Con-crit is welcomed with a big, goofy smile._

_Thanks for reading, _

_Shell x_

…

…

She was bored and lonely. Tired of routine. The nine to five chafed at her edges, and she feared it would eventually rub her out. Reduce her to something as meaningless as the little rolls of pencil-stained eraser residue scattered across her desk.

He had been planning this since he was fifteen. He'd saved sixty-one cents in every dollar earned, and had spent countless hours researching (actually, he'd probably tallied them, too). His goal was firmly in his sights at all times.

She threw a dart at the crinkled and torn map angled across her bedroom wall, grinned that easy grin and packed her bag.

He made a careful itinerary, as well as several budget spreadsheets, his brow creased with concern as he checked off each item on his list of "things to organize before leaving."

She had a starting point, courtesy of that rusty dart, and a vague idea of seeing the world. She didn't care for monuments or artefacts. She wanted to meet new people, see life through different eyes. Hear love and friendship spoken in different tongues.

He had accounted for every second, every border crossing, and every cent, euro, or lira he would spend. He'd made a study of the geography, history, and political climate of every place he planned to visit.

She never stopped to wonder how.

He never stopped to wonder why.

They met at the foot of the Spanish Steps.

He was already half a day behind schedule, but she made him laugh so he lingered.

It took her twenty-four hours to turn his neatly ordered world upside down, shredding his careful plans with every burst of bright laughter. Irritation turned to amusement, amusement to affection, and sometime later, when his back was turned, affection transformed herself to love.

It took him just six weeks to talk his way into her heart, to tame that wayward wanderer in her chest. His structured existence gave her a new freedom, and she found she liked it. His thoughtfulness pierced her fierce independence, and then his kindness and sweet kisses seeped in. She was swimming in them before she even noticed the puncture.

She ran out of money, and headed back for home.

He followed, seventeen days earlier than he'd planned.

They'd squabble over the details when they told their story in the years to come.

He'd say it was the designs of fate, she'd say it was dumb but happy luck.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #01

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella

Rating: M

Word Count: 469

…

…

Grey wraps around the car. The crystal clear day had disappeared in a matter of minutes when the sky opened and the sea mist rolled in. The rain drums impatient fingers on the roof of the car.

Bella's wearing my sweater, and the wool tickles my nose as I snuggle closer to her. Scents weave together like the yarn it's made from, the ocean and sunscreen and weed and her and me, and as my arms tighten around her waist, I know this one of those moments. One of those moments I wish I could wrap in tissue paper and stuff in my pocket for later. This smell, the warmth of the girl in my arms, the contentment that rests over us like a blanket. I want to pluck it out of the ether and keep it with me always.

Our feet are tangled together, every brush of our ankles sends sand falling like rain to the floor of the car. I kiss her neck, tasting the salt of her afternoon swim mingled with the sweetness of her skin. She sighs, her eyes falling closed, and I wonder if she's committing this moment to memory, too.

"I love you." I haven't said those words before, and I don't think I decided to say them now. They just came because they're true.

Eyes still closed, her cheeks lift with her smile. "I love you, too." Her voice is scratchy with seawater and smoke.

The rain picks up its pace and drops in pitch.

Bella's stomach muscles contract as I slide my hand under the hem of the sweater.

"Your hands are cold," she says.

"Sorry." I'm not really. Her skin is my addiction. So soft and warm. My body's reaction is immediate. Bella giggles, and I know she can tell.

"We can't. Not here."

"We could." I scrape my teeth over her earlobe, loving the way her breath hitches and her muscles tense. "It's not like anyone's going to be walking around in this weather."

"But …" Her protest dies on her lips as I pop open the top button of her tiny denim shorts. She lifts her hips and helps me slide them down her thighs.

I tug at the tie on the side of her bikini bottoms and she stiffens, opening her eyes. "Wait, Edward."

She wriggles to sit up, and I grunt in pain as her elbow catches me in the ribs. "Sorry," she says. I can't see her smirk but I hear it.

Leaning forward, she grabs her crocheted nana-blanket from the floor, and spreads it over us. I chuckle into the crook of her neck as she settles back against me. "You ready now?"

She looks over her shoulder, her brown eyes reflecting the silver sky. "Yeah," she says. She kisses my cheek. "I'm ready."


	4. Chapter 4

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #03

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella

Rating: T

Word Count: 482

…

…

Someone's calling my name. And they're becoming impatient. The two syllables in my name split open as they stamp it out. "Ed-ward. Ed ward."

I rub my fists into my eye sockets, and it occurs to me that my eyelashes might have been knotted together or something, because opening them seems impossible right now.

I yawn and stretch and groan. My mouth tastes stale, my tongue dry and furry-feeling.

_Where the hell am I?_

The mattress is too comfortable, the sheets too soft, and the pillow doesn't resemble some kind of misshapen pancake—it actually supports my head. I'm obviously not in my dorm room.

I force my eyes open … and it's still dark. Even with the curtains open, there's only the vaguest hint of gold lighting the murky green-grey sky.

I'm home.

Which means …

I drag myself out of bed with a groan, adjusting myself and looking around for the shirt I discarded last night. I pull it on, ignoring the smell of cigarette smoke that clings to the worn fabric. I yawn again as I move to the window.

And there she is.

Ankles crossed, hands under her head, lying in the middle of the street. She's wearing a t-shirt I thought I'd lost in the move, and some tiny shorts. Her legs are already tanned, and though I can't see it from here, I know her hair will be streaked with sun-gold, and the constellations of freckles on her nose will have darkened. There'll be new ones, too. I can't wait to chart them.

I lift the window, grimacing as it squeaks, and then clamber out. It's dumb. We're not kids anymore. No one will care if I go out the front door.

But this is a tradition, and I will follow our rituals to the letter.

Darting across the road, quiet on my bare feet, I stand over her, drinking her in. God, I'm thirsty.

Her smile blooms before her eyes open. "Hey, you."

"How'd you know?"

Her chuckle is like sandpaper. "I just did."

_Liar._ I told her I was coming home tomorrow. I cock an eyebrow.

She huffs. "Couldn't sleep. Saw your car in the drive."

I watch her lips as she speaks. They're chapped, but somehow soft-looking, and I can't wait to feel them on mine.

Sitting down beside her, I reach for her hand. There are so many changes to catalogue. Her nails are longer, and painted watermelon pink. There's a splash of blank ink on the inside of her wrist, and a scratch running down her index finger. I'll ask for those stories later.

"Missed you so much," I say.

"Me, too."

We've got so much to talk about, to catch up on. But for now, we sit silently, sprawled in the middle of the still-sleeping street. I watch the sun crawl across Bella's body as it rises, painting her with gold.

* * *

_Thanks so much for reading! Shell x_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #15

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: T

Word Count: 495

…

…

"Momma. Momma!"

Sometimes, the only thing I really want is ten minutes of silence while I drink a cup of coffee. Guilt starts gnawing on the corner of my soul as soon as that thought pops into my brain, though, because the little person with her sticky fingers twisted into the hem of my cardigan is my whole world. It feels so damn wrong to want even a few minutes without her … but sometimes … I do.

"Momma!"

"What's up, chicken?"

"Next!"

I step up to the register, and the cute barista boy—Edward—gives me his usual grin. The one that reaches those green eyes and makes my stomach do stupid, fluttery things. He's around my age—pulling espresso shots and serving quarter-shot decaf soy lattés while studying.

Yeah, we've chatted. Yeah, I have a crush.

"Bella?" His amused head-tilt and lifted eyebrows snap me back to reality.

"Sorry," I shake my head. "Just an americano, plea–"

"Momma! Choco. 'ot choco." Emily grins up at me, her blue eyes sparkling.

She has her daddy's eyes, and that sparkle is the reason I'm toting around a two year old instead of a pile of chemistry textbooks. Well, part of the reason—I _chose_ her, even when Riley made it clear he wouldn't stick around if I did.

"And a hot chocolate." I hold up my hand, thumb and forefinger an inch apart.

He winks. "Sure. Having that here?"

Edward's eyes don't sparkle, but there's something in them that's warm and open, and I nod without thinking. "Yeah, thanks."

_Thanks indeed._ Stupid, cute, persuasive boy. Relieved, I remember I chucked a few books and puzzles in the diaper bag this morning.

"I'll bring it out," he says, once I've handed him a fistful of coins and crumpled notes.

Leaning over the counter, he waves at Emily.

She waves back, then buries her face into my thigh, which makes him chuckle. "Won't be long."

"Come on, Em. Where do you want to sit?"

She chooses us a table by the tinsel-frosted Christmas tree, belly-flopping onto a chair, chubby legs kicking. Sitting her up, I hand her a battered copy of _Where is the Green Sheep?_

She's "reading" _Each Peach Pear Plum_ when a mug of black coffee lands on the table in front of me, a sensible distance from the edge, and without hovering over Emily's head on the way through. _He's good._

"And who would this hot chocolate for?"

Emily's little hands flex as she squeals, "Mine!"

He chuckles as he sets it down. "It's only lukewarm," he says, shooting me a smile.

"Trismas trees. Masmallow trismas trees!"

"Thank you."

"No problem." Edward looks at me for a moment, lip between his teeth, his cheeks pink. "Listen, Bella. I, uh, tell me if I'm totally out of line, but I–I was—I mean, I totally get it if you can't or do want to—but I was wondering if maybe … we could grab a coffee … like, together … some time?"

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	6. Chapter 6

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #24

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: T

Word Count: 347

…

…

"It's so pretty," she says.

He quirks that eyebrow the way he does, the way that makes her smile. "Pretty? You're pretty."

"Look at the water," she tells him, pretending she's not blushing. "Look at all the colors. I wish I had my camera."

He'd rather look at her colors. The streaks of red and blonde in her coffee-bean hair. The rose pink on her cheeks and the lilac of her eyelids. The reds of her lips, the bottom one two shades darker than the top.

"Look," she says again.

"I'd rather look at you," he says. It's always this way with them. He flirts, she flushes. His words are bold, he just can't see to find the nerve to translate them into action.

"Look, Edward."

He complies, because that's what he always does.

"It's brown." He looks at the sky. "And grey. They're like the most boring colors ever."

She sighs. "Look harder. See the sky mirrored on the surface, see the copper and lavender and forest green. Look, there. Where the sun shines through there's titanium and rose gold."

She steps into the water, and he follows, like he always does, despite the water being so cold he can feel his skin tightening around his bones. She kicks up her feet, showering them both with shivers and her laughter.

She turns to him, gold sparking in tawny eyes. She says nothing, but the threat is clear. She is the one who _does_.

"Bella."

"Edward."

"Don't." He knows she will.

She smiles. "Try to stop me."

He stops thinking. Shrugs off his self-restraint. Lets his body run as free as his words.

He takes two big steps, splashing more water over them than she could have. He shivers, but he doesn't think it's from the cold.

He looks into her eyes, sees jet black grow big. Sees himself reflected there, underscored by the pink sweeping her cheeks.

Big breath. He fills his lungs with her bravery. He doesn't speak. He _does_.

Presses his lips to hers. Tastes her laughter. Tastes her relief, her whispered, "finally."

* * *

_Thanks so much for reading! Shell x_


	7. Chapter 7

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #23

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella … and Jasper

Rating: M

Word Count: 498

…

…

"There's a girl on your neighbour's roof."

I look at Jasper, squinting through the smoke that hangs like a curtain between us. "How high are you?"

"Like, _so_ high." He giggles, lifting a hand over his head. "This high. Sky high. Blue sky high."

Sprawled on the floor by my bed, I can't see out the window, but I can hear the rain. I doubt the sky is blue this arvo.

"She looks like a raven," he says.

"Who does?"

"The girl on the roof."

"Her feathers will get wet." I make myself laugh.

We sit in lazy silence for a while. Jasper flips through a copy of _Tracks_, occasionally mumbling something about the 6'2 Emery Stump Original he's saving up for. I stare at the ceiling, which is still dotted with glow-in-the-dark stars the previous owner's kid plastered across it. I tried to pull them off when we first moved in, but that just left sticky paper shit all over the roof, so I figured the stars could probably stay.

"She's still there," Jasper says, pushing his hair out of his red-rimmed eyes.

"Who is?"

"The raven."

I get to my feet and stumble to the window.

"That's not a raven," I tell him. "That's Bella." She does look kind of like a raven, perched up there on the roof in her black dress. Her hair is darker than usual, probably because she's sitting outside in the rain.

"Why's she on the roof?"

"How would I know?" I slide open the window, filling my lungs with the rain-clean air that comes rushing in.

"Hey," I call, "Bella. Why are you on the roof?"

Bella stands up and flips me the bird. "Because I'm going to fly, Cullen."

"Cool." That came from Jasper.

"No, really," I say. "It's like, raining."

"Seriously?" She looks up at the sky, and, as if to prove my point, the rain starts falling faster and harder. It splatters off the sill and into my face.

"You'll like, slip or something. Get down."

She holds out her hands, her face still lifted to the rain. "I'll be right, man."

"Nah, really. You should get down. Come over."

She straightens up. "Whatchya doin'?"

"Getting high." Jasper again. Dickhead's lucky my mum's not going to be home 'til really late tonight.

I can hear Bella's laugh over the drumming rain. "Righto," she says. "Gimme a minute."

She steps carefully across the roof tiles, and, not gonna lie, I kind of hold my breath until she climbs back in through her window. She slides it shut and closes her curtains. I don't know if I should expect her to actually come over with Jasper here, too, but then I hear the front door open, followed by her heavy footsteps on the stairs.

She appears in the doorway, her hair dripping, carrying a bag of salt and vinegar chips.

"You remembered."

"Remembered what?"

Bella ignores Jasper's question, tossing me the chips and a wink. "Of course I did."

* * *

_Thanks to Twilly for helping me decide which prompt to play with tonight._

_Thanks to you for reading. Shell x_


	8. Chapter 8

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #06

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella … and co.

Rating: M

Word Count: 495

…

…

**Emmett McCarty** has posted a photo. – with **Jasper Whitlock**.  
17 likes. 1 hour ago.  
_Rosalie Hale_: That's gorgeous. Wish I was there. I miss you.  
_Mike Newton_: Cool pic bro! Where r u guys now? Scotland?  
_Emmett McCarty_: Nah, _Mike_. We're in Wales. _Rosalie_, I miss you, too. Only one more week ;)  
_Mike Newton_: same same, lol.  
_Jasper Whitlock_: Don't tell the Welsh that ;)

.

**Alice Brandon** misses **Jasper Whitlock**.  
2 likes. 2 hours ago.  
_Jasper Whitlock_: not long now, baby.  
_Jessica Stanley_: awwww. you guyz are so cuuuuuuute.

.

**Alice Brandon** is now friends with **Ben Cheney** and 7 other people.  
2 hours ago.

.

**Bella Swan **posted on **Edward Cullen**'s wall.  
Check out this video. I cried laughing. link  
1 like. 2 hours ago.  
_Edward Cullen_: hahahahahaha. fucking awesome.  
_Bella Swan_: right? I couldn't breathe.

.

**Bella Swan** is in a relationship with **Edward Cullen**.  
43 likes. 7 hours ago.  
_Angela Webber_: aww, yay! :D  
_Jessica Stanley_: OMG. seriously?  
_Renée Dwyer_: Call me, Bella. I need deets.  
_Alice Brandon_: LOL. Like no one saw that coming. But really, good for you guys. :)  
_Edward Cullen_: like.  
_Mike Newton_: for real? I thought you guys were just friends.  
_Alice Brandon_: just friends? haha. _Mike_, where the hell have you been? are you blind?  
_Rosalie Hale_: Nice work, Cullen.  
_Emmett McCarty_: About fucking time.  
_Bella Swan_: _Renée Dwyer_ - Mum … "deets?" Seriously? I'll call you tomorrow. I'm going to bed now. The rest of you, shut up.  
_Bella Swan_: oh. _Edward_ 3  
_Edward Cullen_: less than three?  
_Bella Swan_: it's a love heart ;)  
_Edward Cullen_: I'm on my phone. Oh, I get it. It's sideways :)  
_Mike Newton_: Congratulations then, I guess.  
_Bella Swan_: LOL.  
_Bella Swan_: That LOL was for _Edward_. _Mike_ - thanks.

.

**Edward Cullen**: best. night. ever. – with **Bella Swan**.  
22 likes. 8 hours ago.  
_Bella Swan_: bestest. I'm on such a high right now.  
_Renée Dwyer_: Isabella!  
_Bella Swan_: Mum, remind me to unfriend you. I'm not actually high. Just buzzing from the concert.  
_Edward Cullen_: she's not high, Mrs Dwyer.  
_Rosalie Hale_: *eats popcorn*

.

**Bella Swan** is at **Imagine Dragons at the Enmore Theatre **– with **Edward Cullen**.  
7 likes. 10 hours ago.  
_Edward Cullen_: mind = blown.  
_Bella Swan_: right? ah. may. zing.  
_Alice Brandon_: jelly.  
_Bella Swan_: you should be ;)  
_Victoria Rossi_: so so amazing.  
_Edward Cullen_: I hope they play Radioactive soon.  
_Bella Swan_: yesssssss :D  
_Jessica Stanley_: are you guys FBing each other at a concert? Lame.

.

**Jessica Stanley** Anyone want 2 come see the One Direction movie with me tonite?  
Be the first to like this. 12 hours ago.

.

**Bella Swan** seeing Imagine Dragons tonight. Can't wait!  
14 likes. 13 hours ago.  
_Mike Newton_: I heard they suck live.  
_Edward Cullen_: Stoked! It's going to be so good, B.  
_Tyler Crowley_: awesome!  
_Victoria Rossi_: me and James are going too.  
_Bella Swan_: awesome _Victoria_. We should have dinner together before.  
_Victoria Rossi_: yeah! that'd be sweet. text me, k?

* * *

_A/N: Probably one of the more ridiculous things I've ever written, lol. And yeah, it's upside down ... like Facebook is. __(Also, ffn ate the love heart. Sorry about that. Pretend it's there, k?)_

_Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	9. Chapter 9

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #07

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 486

…

…

Fog swirls low in the forest, greens and browns melting together into obscurity. My breath is an echo, puffs of mist escaping as I exhale. The ground is damp and so am I, dew and sweat mingling on my skin as my feet pound their steady rhythm.

There's a tall, hooded figure on the path in front of me and I shift a few feet to the left, preparing to pass him by. At least, I presume it's a he. It's hard to tell in the shadows and fog of the late afternoon.

_If you go out in the woods today  
__You're in for a big surprise._

The tune is haunting and familiar, almost menacing. Feeling unsettled, I move a few feet farther to the left as I continue to gain on him. I'm no longer running on the path; the long grass twists its cold, sticky fingers around my ankles.

_If you go out in the woods today  
__You'd better go in disguise._

His song tugs at the edges of my subconscious. I'm feeling jittery and small-child scared. The tune, the cadence, is sinister and playful, like a childhood nightmare, something I've forgotten to be afraid of.

He repeats the lines, his voice dancing up and down over the notes. There's an undercurrent, too … amusement or cruelty, I can't tell.

I speed up, my calves protesting, my lungs working hard. My reaction feels ridiculous, but with my heart racing and his tune ringing in my ears, I just want to get away from him. Fast.

I don't, won't, glance at him as I pass him, goosebumps prickling on my arms.

_For every bear that ever there was  
__Will gather there for certain, because  
__Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic._

I land on my knees in the dirt as he lifts his voice to a shout.

Relief and irritation pour over me like rain, and the tension that was curled inside me bursts out in wild laughter.

That fucking song.

"You okay?" He pushes his hood back as he stoops over me. His lips twitch, like he's trying not to laugh at me, sitting on my knees in the mud.

"I hate that song." I ignore his offered hand and get to my feet. "My dad used to sing it to me … but then he'd tickle me until I thought I'd pee my pants. I hated the suspense, knowing what was coming."

The guy chuckles. His eyes are as green as the forest surrounding us. "Me, too," he says. "I hate it, I mean. But it's been stuck in my head for the last three days."

He must read my bemusement in my face.

"I'm going to school to become a kindergarten teacher," he says, pulling his hand through his hair. "We had to do this group assignment, and yeah–" He shakes his head "–it's been stuck with me since."

* * *

_I don't even know where this silly stuff comes from. The tune to Teddy Bears' Picnic does creep me out, though. Seriously. And it's worse when whistled._

_Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	10. Chapter 10

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #13

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella

Rating: T

Word Count: 495

…

…

Bella Swan has been sitting, her suntanned legs crossed, at the end of her bed for the last thirty-nine minutes. The sand that followed her home from her morning walk, stuck between her toes and clinging to her ankles, is spread across her comforter, and she's huddled in the blue cotton sweater her best friend gave her for her birthday last year. Warm lamp light glistens off the tears trailing down her cheeks as she stares at her hands, contemplating the chipped red nail polish she doesn't remember applying.

The silence in her cluttered bedroom is broken only by her sniffles and the occasional click of her ceiling fan. It clicks once after every four rotations—always has.

With a shuddering sigh, Bella shakes her her head, as if that can chase away the words echoing in her mind. She hears them over and over, spoken in that tone he uses when he's grappling for patience, trying to keep his emotions in check.

"I'm not breaking up with you, but …"

"I love you, but …"

But. But. But.

"But we can't keep doing this."

"But I don't know if you want the same things I do."

"But I need to know you're as serious about this as I am."

…

Edward Cullen sits outside Bella's bedroom door, his shoulder blades pressed against the plasterboard. He checks his watch. Forty-two minutes since she closed the door, ignoring his question, "What happened?" It feels like it's been hours.

He remembers the look on Bella's face as Jacob touched her cheek and walked away. The way her expression remained patient and stoic until his back turned. Freed from his scrutiny, she crumbled—eyes squeezed closed, lips quivering.

…

"But I can't compete with Edward. It's him or me, Bella."

Perhaps more than anything, it upsets Bella how easy it was to make her choice. After six months with Jacob, shouldn't it have been harder? Shouldn't it have required thought? Shouldn't it have been impossible to choose between her boyfriend and her best friend?

But the answer was in her heartbeat and on her lips immediately. _Ed-ward. Ed-ward. Ed-ward._

…

Edward looks up as Bella opens the door, the sweater he gave her for her birthday hanging off one shoulder, its cuffs tugged over her hands. His gaze lingers on her bare legs until he gives himself a mental shake. _She's upset_. _Really not the time to be checking her out._

Bella sits beside him, her head finding its place on his shoulder, her hand reaching for his.

"Jake and I broke up," she says, her voice tear-stained.

"I'm sorry," Edward says. _Liar_, he thinks. Self-disgust makes a brief appearance, but his relief shoves it away. He's been longing to hear those words.

He lifts his free arm and wraps it around her shoulders, pulling her close, kissing to top of her head. Bella's eyes close as she melts into his embrace.

"I'll be fine," she says. _I have you._

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	11. Chapter 11

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #08

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 495

…

…

I felt him before I heard him, disappointment curling in my stomach. I'd been waiting all night for someone to sidle up beside me, to feel warm, damp breath against my neck. But his smell was too familiar, and the words, the tone of voice, were all wrong. "How many of those have you had?"

I turned to Edward, squinting as though that would help me focus on his face in the dark bar. I hated the concern etched across his brow, the way his mouth turned down at the corners as he watched me bring the martini glass to my lips. "Not enough."

"What is it?" He took the glass from me and sipped. "Yuck, Bee. How can you drink that?"

I shrugged, swiping the glass and finishing it in one swallow. It _was_ disgusting, the sickly sweetness not enough to mask the burn. "It's doing what I want it to."

"Which is?"

"Getting me fucked up."

He sighed. He fucking sighed. Like I hadn't been sighed at enough this month.

_Sigh. "You're being ridiculous, Isabella." My mother._

_Sigh. "I think you need to talk to someone … like a therapist." My friend, Rose._

_Sigh. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" My now ex-boyfriend._

_Sigh. "Honey, I'm worried about you." My dad._

The last thing I needed was Edward, of all people, sighing at me. Like that's all I was, an exhalation. A used breath pushed out of their lives. Stale. Toxic.

"You wanna get out of here?" Right words, wrong speaker.

But it's not like I had a better plan. Drinking myself into oblivion was working, until it wasn't. I could feel the morose thoughts untangling themselves, the self-pity building. And Edward wasn't bad-looking …

"What did you have in mind?" I felt stupid, using that tone of voice on the guy who'd been my best friend for over a decade.

He shook his head. "I'm not sleeping with you when you're drunk and upset." He muttered something I didn't catch.

"So what's the plan, then?" I let him help me into my coat. It made me warm in a way the alcohol hadn't, the way he wrapped my scarf around my neck and kissed my forehead.

He took my hand, led me back up the grimy, badly-lit stairs that led to the bar. I hated myself for enjoying it. That small gesture of affection. Feeling like maybe I did matter to someone. Like he cared enough to make sure I didn't trip up the stairs in these stupid fucking heels.

"I don't really have one," he said, once we reached street level, light and sound exploding around us. "But you're not going to bed until you're sober, and I've seen you smile."

My laugh was bitter. "You might be waiting a while." I don't know if I was talking about the sobriety or the smiling. Probably both.

He tucked me under his shoulder. "For you, Bee? I've got plenty of time."


	12. Chapter 12

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #11

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella and the girls.

Rating: M

Word Count: 487

…

…

The hot, dry wind blows through my hair, and unfamiliar smells, vegetal and earthy, swirl around me. I can barely hear the music and laughter inside the car over the air rushing past.

Alice has her feet on the dash, a packet of Snakes between her knees. Rose is behind the wheel—and therefore in charge of the stereo. They're talking … arguing, I think. I don't pay attention. They bicker constantly—more like sisters than friends.

We've been on the road for ten days.

"Screw Schoolies," Rose had said. "We're road-tripping. Just the three of us."

"But …"

"Isabella Swan, if the next word out of you mouth is 'Edward,' I will punch you in the teeth."

Alice had shaken her head at me. "We'll be gone a week, two tops. You'll live."

So I'd agreed, reluctantly, and only once Edward had whispered the words "dirty weekend when you get back."

"Really dirty?"

He chuckled. "Absolutely filthy."

I'm squirming in my seat, remembering the look in his eye, when my phone vibrates under my thigh. For the first time in four hours, I've apparently got a signal.

I smile as I open the message.

I manage to read Edward's _**Hey, how's it going? I miss you.**_ before Alice snatches the phone out of my hand.

"Hey!" Her fingers jump across the screen whilst she giggles manically, holding it out of my reach as I try to grab it back.

"Don't you dare," Rose says, hearing the snap as I undo my seatbelt. "It's double demerit points this weekend. I'll kick your arse if you cost me my licence."

"Fuck you both."

"At the same time?" Alice tosses a smirk over her shoulder. "I've never been in a threesome, but for you two … tempting."

I flip her off. "Give me my fucking phone back."

She flips down the visor, checking her hair in the tiny mirror. "No way. You can have it back when we stop for the night."

"It's eleven a.m." We usually stop around five in the arvo.

I catch her reflection rolling its eyes. "You'll live."

Plastic crinkles as she shoves her hand into the lolly bag. "Here."

A tangle of Snakes land in my lap. I pry them apart. The blue, green and red ones I keep; the yellow and orange ones, I throw back over the seat into Rose's lap.

"Thanks." She catches my eye in the rear-vision mirror and shoots me a wink.

"Whatever." I'm not really that pissed, but I'll pout for a while.

And then, in about two hours Rose is going to want to call Em, so she'll convince Alice to give me my phone back, and then Alice will be secretly relieved, and even though she'll huff about it, she'll decide she "might as well" call Jasper whilst we're being sooks.

Because the truth is, we're all as bad as each other. We miss our boys.

* * *

_Schoolies = holiday of binge-drinking and debauchery after finishing Year 12; __double demerit points = over a public holiday weekend, driving offences are punished twice as severly in an effort to cut down on holiday road fatalities (Having a passenger without their seatbelt on would cost you 6 points. For a Green P-plater like Rose, that's her licence gone); arvo = afternoon; sook = wimp; Snakes = delicious jelly-based lolly made by Allens._

_Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	13. Chapter 13

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #02

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 422

…

…

There are three little clouds suspended over West Head. Puffs of white fairy-floss against the sapphire sky. An ellipsis. A pause. That space between you and me.

There's a nor'easter singing across the bay. Fifteen knots, at least. I'm on the reach, the mains'l curved and full, the water skimming, blue and green and so, so clear, beneath me. My hand is getting tired, rubbed raw from the rope curled around it twice, and my stomach muscles protest as I hike my arse out a little harder, the gunwale digging into my thighs, keeping the hull flat. I hit a bit of chop and salt water smacks me in the face, making me grin.

I figure I'm about a nautical mile from the beach, from you. You're probably waiting for me by now, that big camera looped around your neck, your shoes discarded somewhere on the sand—we'll spend half an hour looking for them when the sun starts going down.

When I hit the shore, centreboard half up, sail loose and slapping loudly, you come flying down the sand, that EOS 60D obscuring your face. "Smile!"

I flip you the bird as I jump into the water, dragging the Laser by the nose. You just laugh, capping your camera and nestling it onto your towel. You splash into the water to help me carry the boat up the beach to her cradle. We work with practiced ease. Your arse might get too seasick to come out on the water with me, but you're an asset on shore, checking everything is tied down and packed away as I hitch the trailer to the car.

I pull my wetsuit to my waist, taking the bottle of water you offer me. You're looking at my boobs, of course. I only wore this bikini because I like the way your eyes keep sliding downwards whenever I wear it. It's not comfortable, but your eyes on my skin are.

"Good time?"

I nod, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. "Cracking. What d'you get up to?"

You sigh. "Spent the morning printing out ridiculously clichéd happy holiday snaps."

"Yours or someone else's?"

This time it's your middle finger pointed at the sky. "Fuck you, Bella."

I look around the empty carpark. "Here?"

You just laugh. "Take this off," you say, tugging on the sleeve of my wetsuit where it hangs around my hips. "I wanna go for a swim."

I shake my head. "Trying to get me undressed before you've even kissed me. Typical, Edward."

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	14. Chapter 14

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #19

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella

Rating: M

Word Count: 390

Warning: This references (without details) an attempted suicide. Skip this one if you need to.

…

…

It took them a while to sort me out, to find the right balance of pills to drag me out of the darkness, without making me feel like my head was wrapped in cotton wool. I got there eventually.

They said I could have visitors then.

And they all came to see me, shuffling in one-by-one. Eyes darting around the sterile, white-washed room, looking everywhere but at my bandaged wrists.

Mom cried, took my sins on her own shoulders, loaded herself up with unnecessary guilt. She apologized. Fucking apologized. To me.

Dad patted my shoulder and mumbled something about trying to look on the bright side. "Count your blessings and all that." Like I hadn't. Like each one of them wasn't a thorn in my worthless side.

Emmett just sat with me. "I don't know what to say," he said. So he didn't try.

Jasper asked what he could've done, what he missed, what to do next time. I don't think he believed me when I said there wouldn't be a next time. And that's okay, it's not like I've given him a reason to trust me.

Alice and Tanya snuck in together, eyes puffy and red, clinging to each other. They asked the question everyone else wanted to: "How could you do this to us?"

And then came Bella. Like a little thundercloud, scowling, stamping. She slammed a book of poetry down on the flimsy tray-table, flipped it open, and started reading, her voice hard.

_Do not go gentle into that good night, _– "How dare you?"  
_Old age should burn and rave at close of day;_ – "You're not old yet, Edward. It's not your time."  
_Rage, rage against the dying of the light._ – "Fucking fight it," she said. "That voice in your head, it's a fucking liar."

When she finished the poem, her biting commentary between each line, she threw the book at me and stormed back out. I imagined black clouds and lightning bolts gathered behind her and I laughed.

I laughed.

It sounded strange, and tasted weird, too. How long had it been?

Ten minutes later she was back, and her little clouds were raining.

She climbed into the bed beside me and wiped her eyes on my shoulder. "It's not the answer. Never ever."

"I know." God, did I know. "I'm sorry."

* * *

_Please seek help if you're experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm. It's never the answer. You matter; you cannot be replaced._


	15. Chapter 15

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #04

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 407

…

…

You know how sometimes the shittiest, lamest, worst nights ever can turn into the best ones? The ones you'll never really forget, even if the memories are awash in a sea of booze and smoke?

Yeah?

I just had one of them.

My favourite jeans split at the seams when I was putting them on. My firetruck red lipstick was a pulpy mess—that little shit I babysit must've gotten into my handbag last week when I was spooning mush into her brother's squawking mouth. I couldn't find a single pair of earrings that matched, and my favorite shirt was nowhere to be found. I was just heading out the front door when Alice called me. She and Rose bailed—bitches—so it was just me and the boys. They wanted to get high before we left Edward's, so we got to the gig late. I'm pretty sure the cabbie ripped us off, too. We missed the support act—they were the ones I really wanted to see. The bar ran out of vodka—seriously, who lets that happen? The main act sucked. The drummer was a half beat behind the whole fucking set, and the bass guitarist couldn't have preened any harder if he were teal blue and dragging an assload of feathers. Some dickhead grabbed my ass, and I about jumped out of my skin. Result: Midori and lemonade seeping like gangrene down my favorite white tank-top.

That was about when I'd had enough. I grabbed Edward and dragged him outside, stole his beer, his smokes, and the flannel shirt he had unbuttoned over his tee.

I bitched him out for it all. Not that any of it was his fault.

Instead of laughing at me, or rolling his eyes and wandering back inside, or being all sympathetic and consoling—all of which would have probably been very reasonable responses—he kissed me. Hard.

He tasted like beer and smoke and he reeked of sweat and pot and that sickly sweet crap from the fog machines, but fuck me can that boy kiss.

We made out in the cab the whole way back to his apartment. Barely made it inside before our hands were in each other's pants. Stumbled into his bedroom, ignoring the filthy clothes and crinkled magazines piled on the floor, and landed on his bed in a tangle of limbs and tongues.

Woke up this morning with a headache and a smile.

Yeah. It was one of _those_ nights.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	16. Chapter 16

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #21

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 490

…

…

I watch the water slide down your chest as you surface, jealous of the way the drops cling to your skin.

"Are you coming in or what?"

The water is the colour of one of those trendy Pinot Grigio bottles. The kind you buy, not because you think it will particularly complement the fresh Sydney rock oysters or the snapper ceviche, but because it will look pretty on the table. The kind you'd never buy when it's just you and me, sitting by the edge of the pool in the almost-summer sunshine.

I shrug, my hand shielding my eyes from the glare. "Didn't bring my bathers."

"That's never stopped you before."

Your words are playful, but they land in my lap with a heavy thud. It's true. You've seen me naked more times than I can count, but that was … before. I swallow half the Riesling in my glass. It's tight, lean, acidic … fitting.

"I don't think Tanya would appreciate me skinny-dipping with her boyfriend." I hate that. That possessive pronoun. _Her_ boyfriend_._ You are hers. Not mine.

"You jealous, Iz?"

I've had too much wine. "Yes." I want to snatch that word back from where it hangs in the air between us.

I groan, pulling my feet from the water. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ I don't know who I'm mad at—Tanya, you, myself … all three.

"I should go."

You're out of the pool, water puddling on the bleached timber deck, by the time I'm on my feet. Cold, wet hands land on my shoulders. The sun-creases around your green eyes deepen. "Don't."

I shake my head, though I make no move to step away from you.

"Don't go. Izzy, please."

"I–I …" I shake my head before I finish that sentence the way I've wanted to since we were nineteen.

"We broke up. Like, a month ago."

My mouth opens but no sound comes out.

You pull a hand through your hair. "It just … it wasn't working."

"You guys seemed so happy." It was the only reason I made an effort with her—she made you happy.

Shrugging, you look at our feet. "She wasn't you."

I stamp down on the lifting of my heart. "And? So what? You don't _want _me. I've been here, Edward. Forever. If you wanted me–" I shake my head "–why date her?"

The sound you make is half a laugh, half a groan, but then you're silent for so long I think you're not going to answer.

I step back. You follow. Like we're dancing.

"I was scared, Iz. What if you shot me down? What if I lost you? So I tried being with someone not-you. And … all it did was make me want you more."

I'm lost. Bewildered. The world is upside down.

"No." I shake my head.

"Yes. You, Iz. I want you."

And then your lips are on mine, and nothing makes sense. Or everything does.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	17. Chapter 17

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #10

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Word Count: 403

…

…

The music dances across my skin, the notes bursting against me. Fizzing. Like champagne bubbles on my tongue. Electronic blips and pulses bouncing off me. Tickling me. Making me smile.

He leans against the bar, beer in hand, a line of empty shot glasses at his elbow. His smile is lazy and drunk, but he watches me with an intensity that belies his inebriation.

"It's your birthday," I'd told him, mascara wand in hand. "You get to make a wish."

He kissed my neck, and I pushed him away. "You'll make me smudge it."

"What kind of wish?"

"Anything. Anything I can make come true."

He was quiet as I finished getting ready. Didn't try to kiss my lipstick off. Nodded absently when I asked if my earrings were too dangly.

When we got out of the cab, he grabbed my hand, pushed me up against the bricks in the alley, kissed me hard. _There goes the lipstick._

"I love you."

"I love you, too." I giggled, lightheaded from his kiss.

"You know that, right? That I love you. Always."

"Like I know my own name."

"Anything?"

I smiled. _Ah._ "For you. Anything."

He shook his head, lip between his teeth.

"Tell me," I said. "No judgement, you know that."

"I–I want … No, I can't."

"Tell me."

He spoke to his shoes. "Just a kiss. Not sex. A kiss."

"You or me?" I could watch him kiss someone else … Maybe … I hoped.

His head snapped up, eyes wide and round. "You."

"Kiss who?"

He swallowed hard. The words left his mouth slowly, testing the waters. "A girl. A stranger."

I'm lost in the music, in the swirl of bright lights and hot bodies. My skin prickles.

Through the chemical haze, I see her. Spiral curls glowing red under the lights, pale skin, pretty lips. I want to taste them. For him.

Edward keeps his distance as I move toward her, but I can feel the weight of his gaze. It makes me brave.

I whisper-shout in her ear, my hands on her waist. She grins, all cherry lips and wide, dark eyes.

We dance.

And dance.

And dance.

She doesn't seem to mind that my gaze is fixed over her shoulder as her small, soft hands slide over my curves.

He nods. Shifts his weight. Taps his chest once, over his heart.

And I kiss her.

For him.

_Happy Birthday_.

* * *

_I've since decided I don't especially like this one ... but that's kind of this whole exercise, isn't it? Flashes that sometimes work and sometimes fail._

_Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	18. Chapter 18

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #05

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: T

Word Count: 479

…

…

"Hey, you." His easy smile makes my stomach somersault.

"Hey."

Warm arms close around me. "Missed you, little chick."

That fluttering in my stomach stings a little. "I missed you, too." I wish those words carried the same meanings from both our lips.

I step back. It hurts less if I'm the one pulling away.

His eyes, a shade lighter than the leafy canopy overhead, narrow, and his smile becomes a smirk.

Before I can look away, blush, and dissemble, his arms are around me again. I squeal, kicking my legs as the ground disappears from beneath my feet. Edward's chuckle rolls through his chest and into mine.

"Put me down!" I'm shouting, but my voice is muffled against his t-shirt, choked by my laughter.

And even as my heart is racing with the thrill of being held by him, there's that sinking feeling, too. I'm just his buddy, one of the guys. I'm the chick who can drink more beer than he can, eat more steak than he can. I'm the one who'll always be there for him when yet another girl breaks his heart.

I bang my fists between his shoulder blades. "I'm going to give you a wedgie."

"What?" He's running now, and I'm laughing and groaning as I bounce against his shoulder.

"If you don't put me down," I say, trying to catch my breath, "then I'm going to give you the biggest wedgie in the history of wedgies."

Either he doesn't hear, or he doesn't believe me, because he starts spinning us in circles. I close my eyes against the blur of green and grey and brown. One or both of us is going to end up on our asses in the damp grass.

Fumbling with the soft fabric of his shirt, I find the waistband of his jeans. He's too busy laughing to feel my fingers close around the elastic of his underpants.

I yank on them. Hard.

And then he's swearing, and we're falling. I curl my arms over my head, gritting my teeth and anticipating that hollow feeling in my chest. It won't be the first time Edward Cullen's knocked the wind out of me.

We land on our sides, breathing hard.

My shoulder throbs, and I can feel the moisture seeping through my shirt.

"You know," he says, "if you wanted to get into my pants, all you had to do was ask."

"I don't want–" I do want that, but I want so much more than that.

Edward frowns, his gaze intensifying. I feel naked somehow, sure he's finally seeing through me, seeing the longing I've buried for so long.

He lifts his hand, touches my cheek. It's a simple gesture, and he doesn't say a word, but for the first time in years, I don't try to stamp out that spark of hope as it smoulders inside me.

* * *

_Thanks so much for reading! Shell x_


	19. Chapter 19

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #09

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: T

Word Count: 487

…

…

I remember the days when I thought I'd never get tired of holding your hand. You'd sidle up to me, and I'd feel your fingers brush against my arm as you leaned down a little, and then my hand would be in yours, and I'd be smiling. I remember the way my heart would speed, and my skin would feel like it couldn't contain me as your fingers slid between mine and squeezed. My palms would sweat, and I'd be all embarrassed that you'd be grossed out by the humidity building between our clasped hands. You never seemed to mind.

And then I got brave enough, secure enough in whatever it was we had, and I didn't need to wait for you. I'd reach out, pretending I wasn't holding my breath, and I'd grab your hand. And then you'd squeeze back, and I'd feel like I was made of helium, a balloon on a string. Your hand anchored me, stopped me from floating away.

I remember thinking I had everything I'd ever want when your hand was in mine.

But now … it's not enough.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I like what it represents. I like feeling tied to you this way. Hands clasped, we're together. I belong to a _We_, and we are an _Us_.

But did you know that the total ratio of palm to body surface area is less than one percent?

So when we sit here, holding hands, less than one hundredth of our wholes are joined together. And I want more.

I want more of you. I want you to have more of me. _Don't you want more of me, too?_

I want lips pressed together, and tongues meeting. I want cheek-to-cheek. I want your arms around me, pulling me close, our whole bodies pressed together.

I'm greedy for you.

I want naked skin. I want touches in places I'm still nervous about touching myself. I want your fingers and lips and tongue across every inch of my skin.

And I want to explore you. I want to map your topography. I want to know its hills and valleys, and what makes your chest rise high with a held breath. I want to know what I can do to make goosebumps spread across your skin. I want to cause an earthquake inside you, have you shake and gasp and fracture beneath me.

But you seem oblivious to my desperation, tracing those swirling patterns across my palm with your stupid callused fingertips. I want to feel them against softer skin, skin only my bathroom mirror gets to see.

And you know what? I'm going to make it happen. I've waited so long for you to make the first move, to push things a little further, to seek out a little more skin. But you haven't.

So I will.

I squeeze your hand as I stand up. "Come on. Let's go inside."

* * *

_Thanks so much for reading! Shell x_


	20. Chapter 20

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #14

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: T

Word Count: 435

…

…

"What are we looking for?"

"Music."

"Seriously? Do you think we're in the right place?"

I lift my hand and flip him off, my gaze trained on the worn and faded covers of the old LPs I'm flipping through.

He laughs. I press my lips together to hide my smile.

From the corner of my eye, I see him wander away from the rack he was looking through. "Why can't we look at the books instead, Bella? Oh, hey …" His voice trails off—he's probably stumbled across a battered copy of some science-fiction novel he's already got an even more battered copy of on his bookshelf.

I direct my attention back to my search.

Bowie … The Smiths … Michael Jackson … James Browne … Billy Joel … _Ugh_.

It looks like these racks are just filled with more of the same old stuff I could find at any garage sale on a Saturday morning. What a waste of time.

I look up, watching Edward run his finger across the cracked spines lining the shelves, his cheek lifted with his smile. Okay, so maybe it's not been a complete waste of time.

Abandoning my search, I creep up beside him. My stealth is unnecessary—he's completely lost in the titles in front of him, muttering them as he catalogues them. "Asimov … Bradbury … Clarke … _Ugh_."

His apparent disgust makes me smile. Apparently I'm not the only one disappointed by the oh-so standard second-hand fare on offer here.

He shakes his head and wipes his nose on the sleeve of his jumper. "Bella?"

"Yeah?"

He jumps away from me, his eyes wide. "You scared the shit out of me."

I giggle. "Really? I couldn't tell. Is that why you about jumped out of your skin?"

It's his turn to flip me off. "You're such a brat."

I shrug. "I know. But you love me anyway."

He slings an arm across my shoulders. "That I do."

"They've got shit-all here."

He sighs. "I know. What do you wanna do now?"

I watch the rain pound its tiny fists against the window of the store. The footpath has become a dirty grey river, slick with greasy rainbow swirls, and we parked a good ten minute walk away. I scan the street, and the bright pink and green signage across the street and a few doors down catches my eye.

I turn to Edward, and he's grinning, having already figured out what I'm about to say.

He pulls me closer, tucking me under his arm as he pushes open the door. "Let's go get you a cupcake, Cupcake."

* * *

_jumper = sweater; footpath = sidewalk._

_Thanks for reading! Twenty down, five more to go ... Shell x_


	21. Chapter 21

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #17

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella

Rating: M

Word Count: 492

…

…

Dear Alice,

Hey girl … You know, it's crazy, my first instinct is to write "How's it going?" Is that dumb? I mean, are you even 'going?' Is there any sense of awareness there? It's easier for me to believe there is. You were too full of life and vitality and you were just so _you_, that I can't imagine that your existence has ceased simply because your heart stopped beating.

I miss you so much this time of year. I miss you always—like a constant ache, like missing part of myself … But at this time of year, when the skies are blue and the sun is shining, and the nor'easter blows lazy across the seashore, when we're free to roam all day … this is when that ache really starts to sting. Like a poorly sutured wound that's ripped open again.

Things here are … well, they're okay, you know? We're okay.

We still haven't heard from Jasper … I'm not sure we will. It hurts, but I get it. I think being with us all reminded him too much that you weren't here anymore. I hope, wherever he is, that he's healing, that he's _living_, you know?

Ro and Emmett split up at the start of December. They seem okay. Maybe they're better as friends. I spend a lot of time with Ro now. She's … softer, I guess. More forgiving. It's … is it wrong to say it's nice to see? We've all changed since you've been gone … and mostly for the better. It feels so fucking wrong to say that. Because it's not worth it, Al. It's not worth us being better people if it means you're not here with us.

Edward and I are … well, we're really good. He's my rock.

Oh. I took him roller-skating last weekend. It was hilarious. He had a big fit about sticking his feet into shoes other people have worn and sweated in. Pretty sure he wore two pairs of socks to protect his poor little footsies. He fell over soooo many times, you should have seen … well, that's the thing, isn't it? You should be here, but you're not, and I hate it. I hate it so much.

Anyway, we're heading to uni together come February. UNSW. Moving to the big smoke. I'm fucking terrified, Al. Of everything. Getting lost, failing classes, making new friends (or not being able to), paying rent … just, how do we become responsible, independent adults? I don't know how to grow up. I'm not ready.

It was supposed to be you and me, figuring this shit out together. Eating two-minute noodles, drinking goon, skipping classes to explore the city.

It's … IT'S NOT FAIR.

It's not fair. And you're the only person I can admit that to, without hearing, "No one said life was fair, Bella."

I miss you, Alice. I always will.

I love you, girl.

Bella. xo

* * *

_Thank you for reading. Seriously, it's so wonderful hearing your thoughts on these bits and pieces. Shell x_


	22. Chapter 22

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #18

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella

Rating: T

Word Count: 492

…

…

Sitting on the kerb, Bella has this ridiculous expression on her usually pretty face. Her top lip jerking up and to the side, it pushes her nostril out of its way, making her look as though she's just stepped in something foul. It's not really attractive, but I find it cute anyway.

"C'mon, Bella!" Rose is covered in shreds of the cracked and brittle leaves we've been kicking into the air in crunchy sprays of red and gold and orange.

"Pass." Bella's hands are curved around her jean-clad knees, her knuckles white.

Rose bends down and scoops up some leaves. The wind snags a few, sending them fluttering along the sidewalk like escaping goldfish. Her smile is wide and her eyebrows climb up her forehead as she looks from the leaves in her hands to where Bella is sitting, hunched over and watching us warily.

"Don't, Rose."

My sister pauses, looking from Bella to me and back again. With a sigh, she turns away from Bella and takes two steps toward me. I could easily outrun her, but it's better this way.

She cackles madly as she stuffs her handfuls of dry and dirty leaves down the back of my shirt, then takes off, a flash of white-blonde against the grey skies and orange-lined street. "See you at home, shithead!"

My skin itches as I shake the leaves out, trying to stop them from ending up in my underpants on the way down. A few stick to my sweat-dampened skin. "Bella?"

"Yeah?" Her soft voice makes me jump. I hadn't noticed her stand up, and now she's beside me, her bottom lip between her teeth. It makes her chin look funny, almost wrinkly, but again, I find it adorable.

I turn my back on her, lifting up my sweater and the t-shirt beneath it. "Could you ..?"

I feel her cold fingers against my skin, plucking my Rosalie-bestowed fall-colored feathers.

"There you go."

I smooth my clothes back down. "Thanks." I kiss her cheek, loving the way the white has turned pink by the time I pull back.

"Thank _you_," she says. She looks at the ground as we start toward home, making sure not to step on any of the leaves piled on the cement. "I know what she was going to do."

A little high on my own heroism, I grab her hand and entwine our fingers. For just a moment she takes her eyes off the sidewalk. Her smile is small, but her brown eyes are shining.

I nudge her, and she skips over the pile of leaf litter in front of her. "It's just groups of them, right?"

"I guess. I–I didn't mind pulling them off your back–" She swallows and her blush deepens "–but I only had to touch one at a time. But it's – I can't step on a pile of them. Rosalie…" She stops walking. "Thank you."

This time, she kisses me. On the mouth.

* * *

_Thank you so much for reading! Shell x_


	23. Chapter 23

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #20

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella

Rating: M

Word Count: 424

…

…

"And then …"

"What?"

"He opened the box."

"And?"

"There was a severed head in it. His girlfriend's."

Bella looks at me, unimpressed. She folds her arms across her chest, hiding her boobs. Well, they're hidden under her tank top, too. It's not like she was just sitting here on my bed with them hanging out. "That wasn't scary."

"Oh."

"I mean, it's totally fucking disgusting. But I'm not scared."

I don't really know what to say. That movie scared the shit out of me. Maybe I'm just not very good at the whole story-telling thing. Or maybe the atmosphere isn't right. Yeah, that's probably it.

I lean over and pull a torch out of my nightstand, then flick off the lamp. Bella shakes her head as I pull the sheet up over our heads and switch the torch on, but I can see that she's still smiling. She even uncrosses her arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Creating atmosphere."

She laughs, and the sheet flaps and sways with her movement.

"You have to keep still."

"So this is like … mood lighting."

"Um, I guess. Maybe?" I look at her, and my gaze slips off her face and down her chest.

"I'm not sure … but I don't think it's working."

"Huh?" Just a tiny hint of pale pink lace is visible over the edge of her tank top. The torch light flickers golden on her suntanned skin.

She waves a hand. "The atmosphere, mood, whatever. It's not scaring me."

"Oh."

"Like, it's hard to be scared when you're staring at my boobs."

"Yeah."

She laughs. I don't really register the sound, but I do register the movement. Her chest bounces and jiggles a bit and well, I'm certainly not feeling scared right now, either.

Bella snaps her fingers in front of my face, and I jump, heat rushing up my neck, across my cheeks and right up to the tips of my ears.

I drop my gaze to my hands. "Sorry."

She sighs. "You can't really see much like this."

"Uh – Yeah. I didn't see much. At all. And I–I'm sorry. I shouldn't–"

The sheet draped over my head shifts against my hair, disrupted as Bella wriggles around. I keep my gaze on my lap, figuring she's about to tell me she's going home. "How about now?"

I look up, and my chin about falls into my lap. "Fuck."

Bella giggles. I groan, watching the movement her laughter creates.

"You, uh, you can touch them … You know, if you want to."

* * *

_Yep. Total nonsense. Haha._

_Thanks so much for reading. Shell x_


	24. Chapter 24

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #22

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Edward/Bella

Rating: T

Word Count: 488

…

…

"Stop. Stop. Stop."

The days when Bella freaking out and shouting like this would send me into a panic are long gone. My pulse doesn't accelerate, my breath doesn't catch, and instead of asking "What? Why?" I just flick on the blinker and pull the car over.

She's got her door open before the car's stopped moving—I really wish she wouldn't do that. I'll remind her later, though. When she's got that gleam in her eye … well, I could ask her to marry me and she wouldn't even hear me. (Yeah, that actually happened. Wasn't so great for my ego, but once I'd finally gotten her attention she burst into tears, kissed me hard, and said "Yes, of course." All's well that ends well, or whatever.)

Her camera swings heavily around her neck as she scrambles up the grassy embankment. I grab my travel mug and follow slowly. We could be here for five minutes or two hours, depending on what it is that's caught her eye.

By the time I'm standing beside her, my wife's face is mostly obscured by her big, black camera. All I can see is her mouth, curved in a smile at whatever she's seeing through the viewfinder. I squint in the direction her lens is pointed, wondering what it is she's seeing.

We're on a tree-lined road in the middle of nowhere, a lake glittering silver in the distance. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I snap a few pictures. It's fascinating to me to compare the prints Bella develops with my own photographs of the same places and faces. It's like she sees, not more than I do, but deeper inside things.

I let my gaze unfocus, trying to see beyond the obvious, beyond the tree-trunks blackened by shadow, beyond the grass dappled golden in the streams of early morning sun. It's pretty, sure, but I just don't have Bella's eye for composition, or for capturing something meaningful beyond what's staring me in the face.

So I focus my attention on her as I take a sip of my lukewarm coffee. I watch the wind catch the stands of her dark brown hair, causing sparks of gold to alight. I watch her lips as she mumbles to herself, her feet as she steps across the uneven ground. Occasionally, I have to catch her elbow to keep her from slipping, so singular is her focus.

And then, as abruptly as the spell is cast, it is lifted.

"Okay," she says. "I'm done."

"I'm not," I say.

I hold out my hand, and she waggles a finger in warning, but passes me her camera. I set it to auto-focus and take a few shots of her, hoping that this time, I will manage to capture the way the light dances on her face, the tiny hint of pride in her smile, and the softness in her eyes as she looks at me.

* * *

_One more to go ... Thanks for reading! Shell x_


	25. Chapter 25

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

**thetwilight25 dot com**

Prompt: #25

Pen Name: thimbles

Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward

Rating: T

Word Count: 420

…

…

We had six months together before you were whisked away, planted in a new office on the other side of the country.

Our friends laughed when we said we'd make it work. "It's too hard," they said. "You'll grow apart."

But we knew better. Our love was too big to be smothered by distance; elastic enough to stretch from one side of the continent to the other, strong enough that it wouldn't warp.

"A relationship is built on words," you told me. "And ours will be stronger because they're all we'll have."

There were times I doubted you. When I thought I'd go mad as I tried to calculate the time difference between us, when yet another night passed and you were asleep before I finished work. Our Skype dates dwindled, and I wondered if you were giving up on us. I wondered if I should, too.

Lonely at lunch time, I picked up a pen, tore some pages from the back of my diary, and I wrote you a letter across December 19 to 31. I posted it that afternoon.

Less than a week later, an envelope appeared in my mailbox. Inside, your scrawling cursive across the back of a week-old meeting agenda.

Our letters became more regular, written on clean pages. A month or so later, I even bought some fancy stationery.

There were envelopes waiting for me every day—sometimes more than one. We wrote hundreds of thousands of words, letting every thought, every dream, every desire spill in blue and black ink across our pages. I told you all my secrets, you gave me all yours in return.

Sometimes I couldn't remember what your smile looked like, but I could so easily imagine what you'd say about a song on the radio, or a newspaper article I skimmed in the few free minutes I hoarded each day. I couldn't remember if your eyes were blue or green, but I knew instinctively what would irritate you, what would make you laugh, and what would make you cry.

Nine months of soaking in your words, and I loved you more than ever. More than I thought I ever could. But I realized I needed more. I needed to see your face while you spilled your secrets. I needed to look into your eyes when I told you I loved you.

The day I went to quit my job there was a postcard on my desk.

_Dearest Bella,_

_I'm coming home. Forever. See you on Tuesday._

_I love you,_

_Edward._

* * *

_Whew. Done._

_I can't thank you enough for reading these little snippets. It's been fun. _

_Love, Shell x_


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